In 2012 as a high school senior, Liufau was ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the state of Washington by SuperPrep. Grayson was a senior in 2009 (he grayshirted prior to enrolling at CSU) and was ranked as the No. 17 overall player in the state by Rivals.com.

Liufau suited up for the 2013 Rocky Mountain Showdown as a true freshman but did not play in the game.

Grayson and Liufau participated during the summer in the Manning Passing Academy.

“(Grayson) is a really good guy,” Liufau said. “I talked to him a little bit. He’s a really good guy.”

CSU’s Treyous Jarrells running for Grossmont Community College (Hal Summers, Grossmont Community College)

Colorado State’s Monday night scrimmage at Hughes Stadium was closed, but the Rams released statistics afterwards that showed that JC transfer Treyous Jarrells was the top ground gainer, with 46 yards on seven carries, with a long run of 15 yards.

The other contenders for the No. 1 running back spot didn’t get as much work, with Alabama transfer Dee Hart gaining 18 yards on three carries and Jasen Oden Jr., the converted defensive back listed at the top of the media guide depth chart going into preseason practices, with five rushes for 15 yards.

Garrett Grayson was 19-for-25 passing, for 188 yards and two touchdowns. But the other three quarterbacks also were impressive statistically. True freshman Coleman Key was 10-12, for 138 yards and two TDS; redshirt freshman Nick Stevens was 11-18, for 125 yards; and redshirt sophomore Craig Leonard was 4-5, for 51 yards.

But Hart was not on the list released Tuesday of 49 players who, in CSU’s words, “are available to the media during Colorado State’s player availability times.” So at least for now, it’s apparent that Hart’s availability was a one-time exception to Jim McElwain’s policy of keeping first-year players in the program off-limits to the media. That was most noticeable last season, when Kapri Bibbs had a spectacular season and wasn’t made available to the media because, as a redshirt sophomore, he was in his first season with the Rams.

BOULDER — Colorado’s returning starting quarterback, sophomore-to-be Sefo Liufau (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), said one of the best parts about spring practice has been the competition provided at that position by sophomore Jordan Gehrke.

Gehrke (6-1, 190) redshirted last fall after transferring from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College.

Liufau and Gehrke are the only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster until incoming freshman Cade Apsay arrives this summer. Apsay (6-2, 190) passed for 3,103 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall for Canyon Country (Calif.) High School.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham looks towards the scoreboard during a timeout in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 16, 2013. (Associated Press file)

Kyle Whittingham is not under fire. Not yet, anyway.

Utah’s coach has had a rough transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12. The Utes went 33-6 in the three seasons before joining the Pac-12 and have gone 17-17 since. That includes 8-18 in league. Their 4-7 record entering Saturday’s noon game against Colorado marks their first back-to-back losing seasons since 1989-90.

Since shocking Alabama in the 2009 Sugar bowl, Utah is 3-10 against ranked teams and 14-20 against teams from the six power conferences.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Washington Huskies is congratulated by head coach Mike MacIntyre of the Colorado Buffaloes. (Getty Images file)

A look around the Pac-12 Wednesday morning:

Utah — Sophomore Adam Schulz could be Utes’ quarterback of the future. Starter Travis Wilson’s future is in jeopardy due to concussions and three other quarterbacks are freshmen. Utah hosts Colorado Saturday at noon.

Boise State is one of the few Division I college football programs that prohibits its players from being interviewed by “opponent’s media” but I was able to get on a teleconference with Broncos coach Chris Petersen.

Here are some of his thoughts about Saturday night’s game in Fort Collins against Colorado State:

On importance of running back Jay Ajayi in light of the Broncos having to change quarterbacks with Grant Hedrick replacing injured Joe Southwick: “We always want to be balanced. So that doesn’t change a whole lot. Anytime you run the ball, it always takes pressure off your quarterback, no matter who he is.”

With a big thanks to the sports information departments of the respective schools, here are 10 things you may not know about Saturday’s game in Fort Collins between Colorado State (2-3, 0-0 MW) and San Jose State (2-3, 1-1):

1. Colorado State offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin was San Jose State’s head coach for four seasons (1997-2000).

2. Already this season, SJSU will be playing in its fourth time zone (Mountain) in Fort Collins, following games against Minnesota (Central), San Jose (Pacific) and Hawaii (Hawaii-Aleutian).

5. According to Stats.com, Spartans senior linebacker Keith Smith is the only player dating back at least to 1998 to record 20 or more tackles in consecutive games. He had 21 stops at Minnesota and 20 vs. Utah State.

Utah wide receiver Sean Fitzgerald is pulled down by Brigham Young defensive back Robertson Daniel in the first quarter of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 in Provo, Utah. (Associated Press file)

USC — Ed Orgeron ready for second stint as head coach, however interim it is. He has learned a lot since going 10-25 at Mississippi from 2005-07. Since returning to USC as defensive line coach in 2010, he has lived in a hotel across the street from campus.

He was a terrific man, a great quarterback who was involved in one of the most famous college games ever, and instrumental in a single play — “the Peschel pass” — that still lives in Texas and national football lore. He was a wonderful father, including to former Colorado Rockies pitcher Huston Street, now with San Diego. My sympathy to James’ wife, Janie, and his five sons. Here’s my 2011 Post Father’s Day story on Huston and James.

I was fortunate enough to get to know James when writing about the 1969 Texas-Arkansas football game, initially for a Sporting News story at the 25th anniversary of the landmark contest attended by President Nixon and Texas Congressman George Bush, and then for Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming (2002).

Colorado State Rams appear to be improving their pass defense at just the right time. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

How’s this for good timing? Colorado State coach Jim McElwain is praising starting cornerbacks DeAndre Elliott and Bernard Blake, and a slew of strong-armed quarterbacks await on the Rams’ schedule, beginning Saturday with UTEP’s Jameill Showers, who began his college career at Texas A&M.

“I’ll tell you, that guy has really grown up,” McElwain said of Blake, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior. “I can’t tell you how far Bernard has some, not only as a player, but as a person controlling all the things he has going on in his life, which isn’t easy.

“He has really competed. DeAndre Elliott is the same way. They have really grown up and competed on the edge.”

Senior cornerback Shaq Bell, a team leader, has been playing at the nickel.

California coach Sonny Dykes, second from right, stands with players on the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, in Berkeley, Calif. (Ben Margot, AP)

A look around the Pac-12 Conference Wednesday:

California — Sonny Dykes is turning around the Golden Bears’ awful academic record. Cal’s APR of 935 is better than only four schools in five power conferences. Anything under 930 can result in sanctions. Dykes improved the GPA from 2.44 in the spring of 2012 to 2.74 last spring.

3. Cal Poly’s most famous football alumnus: John Madden, class of 1959. Madden also was a catcher on Cal Poly’s baseball team.

4. Cal Poly enters its 95th season of college football but has only been FCS or I-AA for the past two decades.

5. In 1960, Cal Poly suffered one of the first team tragedies in college football when a team plane crashed at the Toledo, Ohio, airport following a game at Bowling Green. The crash claimed 22 lives, including 16 players.

6. Although Colorado State is 0-2 to start the 2013 season, the Rams are riding a three-game home winning streak dating to last year.

7. CSU has played five true freshmen: DL Austin Berk, LB Deonte Clyburn, WR Rashard Higgins, S Jake Schlager and DB Tyree Simmons. With injuries to several veteran wide receivers, there is a chance that Higgins may be joined by another newbie wideout or two on Saturday.

8. CSU head coach Jim McElwain made two stops in California while climbing the career ladder, but only for a year each — as quarterbacks coach of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in 2006 and as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fresno State in 2007.

9. The Cal Poly roster lists no player from Colorado, but CSU has 19 Californians.

USC — Coach Lane Kiffin on the hot seat? You couldn’t tell by the way he’s coaching. Los Angeles Times columnist Bil Plaschke takes a look at a coach who closed practices and then hasn’t named a starting quarterback two days before Thursday’s opener at Hawaii.

Oregon State — Coach Mike Riley names junior Sean Mannion starting quarterback He did the same last year and Mannion started 4-0, hurt his knee and watched Cody Vaz, again No. 2, excel. When Mannion played again he looked awful against Washington. But he dramatically cut down on his turnovers in camp.

Arizona State — Tailback Marion Grice (19 TDs in 2012) has become surprise weapon after transfer from Blinn JC.

Oregon — New shiny Football Performance Center sparkles in functionality as much as bells and whistles. A barbershop, a skybridge, underground parking. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt said it’s the nicest building he’s ever seen.

BOULDER — A new rule in college football might help visiting teams. Colorado Mike MacIntyre said if there is less than three seconds left on the clock, quarterbacks can’t spike the ball to stop it and set up a field goal or a Hail Mary pass.

“They’re saying when teams play away, the clock guy there is a homer,” MacIntyre said at Saturday’s media day.

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.